Peterson eager to lead Steelers
Veteran CB signed to help make up for Sutton’s departure
PITTSBURGH — Patrick Peterson knows he’s not 23 anymore. Or 28 for that matter.
That doesn’t mean the newest member of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ secondary believes he’s slowing down.
Yes, at 32 the eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback knows he might not be able to track wide receivers nearly a decade younger step-for-step all the time.
Yet Peterson believes he can make up for whatever he might have lost in quickness with the wisdom gained from being one of the best players in the league for 12 years and counting.
If anything, Peterson — who signed a two-year deal to join Pittsburgh this week — believes there’s more to his game than he’s been able to show.
While Peterson has always believed he has the capacity to line up in different spots throughout the defensive backfield, he’s spent almost the entirety of his career as a shutdown corner, a commodity in short supply that’s made him a very rich man. That may change in Pittsburgh, one of the reasons Peterson was drawn to joining the Steelers.
Peterson joins a secondary that is in need of veteran experience on the outside. Cam Sutton signed a free-agent deal with Detroit earlier in the week. Levi Wallace was OK in a somewhat situational role while Ahkello Witherspoon played in only four games because of an injury for a team that recovered from a slow start to finish 9-8.
Bengals: Cincinnati running back Joe Mixon was armed with a legal weapon when a teenage boy was shot near the player's home earlier this month but he did not fire the gun or do anything illegal, authorities said Thursday as they announced the indictments of Mixon's sister and her boyfriend. Lamonte Brewer, whom authorities have identified as the shooter, remained at large Thursday, while Shalonda Mixon was apprehended, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported, citing U.S. Marshals supervisor Charles Sanso.
Patriots: New England added some depth on the offensive line with the signing of tackle Calvin Anderson. The team also released veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer, ending his third stint with the Patriots.
Chiefs: Kansas City announced the signings of offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor and defensive end Charles Omenihu. Taylor is expected to replace Orlando Brown Jr., who agreed to a deal elsewhere in free agency, and Omenihu is expected to help replace Frank Clark, who was released in a move to create salary cap space.
Seahawks: Seattle addressed one of its needs on the offensive line, agreeing to terms with guard/center Evan Brown on a one-year contract.
Bears: General manager Ryan Poles acknowledged the temptation to wait and see if Chicago could get more for the No. 1 overall selection in the draft. But he couldn’t pass up the chance to add a star receiver when the Carolina Panthers offered DJ Moore to go with a haul of picks. That’s why he decided it was time to make the big move. Besides giving quarterback Justin Fields a wideout, they also got the No. 9 and No. 61 overall picks in 2023 plus a first-rounder in 2024 and a second-rounder in 2025.
Titans:
Tennessee released outside linebacker Bud Dupree two years into a five-year contract, parting ways with the big free agent they acquired in 2021 to boost their pass rush. The Titans announced that wide receiver Nick Westbrook-ikhine signed a one-year deal and defensive lineman Naquan Jones signed his tender as an exclusive rights free agent.